m e x a mix



(No Model!) N. MOMENAMIN.

ELECTRIC BELL OHIMING APPARATUS.

No. 591,002. Patented Oct. 5,1897.

bet: to the number-of UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

MQMJCNAMIN, ()l TRICNTON, NE\V JERSEY.,

ELECTRIC BELL-CHIMING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,002, dated october 5, 1897. Application filed November 18, I896. Serial No. 612,620. (No model.)

To all whom, it nut cancer/2,:

Be it known that I, NEAL MCMENAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of NeW Jersey, have invented a certain new and use: ful Improvement in Electric Bell-Chiming -Apparatus, of which the following is a full,

clappers or strikers are connected with levers,

each of which is operated by an electromag netic arrangement, the'making and the breaking ofthe circuit thereof being effected by a.

very simple arrangement under the control of' the manual, alias 1 will proceed now more particularly to set forth and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l is a plan view of the manual and the circuitclosers. Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic elevation 'of the apparatus complete.

The manual M may be constructed in any approved manner and be composed of keys of non-conductive material and equal in numbells in the chime. These keys are shown as provided with a fulcral 0r pivotal rod M, common to all, and with a rest-bar M and they are restored to and held in position for use by the operator by means of springs M Binding-posts a equal in number to the number of keys in the manual, are arranged adjacent to the keys and are provided with contact-picces b. A conductor 0 is arranged above the keys, and these binding-posts and the conductor are connected with any suitable source of electricity-as, for instance, a light or power service. Between the contactpieces Z) and the conductor 0 are arranged a number of circuit-closers (Z, which circuitclosers are normally held in parallelism with the keys ofthe manual by springs e. That portion of the circuit-closers which comes next to the keys is electrically non-conductive, and to this end the said circuit-closers depressed will be energized may be composed of a body d, of wood or hard rubber or other-insulating materiahwith a facing (1 of conductive material, and this facing may be applied to the body in such manner and to such extent as to complete the circuit between the, contact-pieces b and the conductor 0, when each of the said circuitclosers is thrown into position by the depression of the respective keys in the manual, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. 7

.An electromaguet A, one for each circuitclos'cr, is provided with a base or pole piece B, preferably of metal, and in turn erected upona suitable support, and each magnet is connected with the conductor 0 and its binding-post a by wires K and L, respectively, so that the electromagnet appropriate to the key by the" circuitcloser making contact between the contactpiece I) and the conductor 0.

C is a pole-piece secured to and depending from a lever D. the said pole-piece being arranged over the electromagnet and adapted to be attracted to it when the said electromagnet is energized.

E is a rail or support provided with stands F, in which the levers D are independently pivoted or fulcrumed .at one end. 'At the other end each lever has connected to it a rope or cable H, which passes thence over a pulley I to the bell clapper or striker J.

The bells may be arranged in the belfry, while the operating mechanism may be arranged in the choir-loft or other convenient and easily-accessible place.

Inasmuch as my apparatus may be applied to the bells without change in the construction and arrangement of the bells, I have deemed it unnecessary to describe the arrangement of the bells. Sufficeit to say that the clappers may be of the rebound variety. If occasion require,the levers D may be supplied with a counterpoise to compensate for the Weight of the pole-pieces 0, these de- I tails not tion.

The operation is obvious from the foregoing, but it-needs to be said that the making of the circuit is ins'tantly effected by movement of the appropriate key in the manual, and said circuit is maintained as long as said key is depressed; Instantly that the key is affecting the principle of my invenreleased the circuit is broken by the relurn of the circuit-closer under the action of its spring 6.

As alrcad y stated, the depression of thekey of the manual by the performer completes the circuit indirectly, and thereby is prevented the formation of the electric arc, the difiiculty that has been encountered in the utilization of electric service heretofore in chimes. When in such utilization a direct make and hrcak has been employed, the high voltage is more or less di-ingerous, very annoying, and very wasteful of current. By my indirect make and break these diflieuli'ies are remedied, and especially so when the voltage does not exceed five hundred.

As will be observed, the electric current is wholly disconnected from the key, and thus the performer is wholly safe from the current.

By my invention the labor of chiming, bells or playing a chime of bells is rendered no more exacting than that of playing a piano or organ.

The cost of installation is comparatively small, and the space for the apparatus is quite small.

What I claim is 1. Means for ringing bells and forotherpnrposes, eomprisin essentially a eircuitcloser, an operating lever or key for tilting the said circnit-closer to complete the circuit, and means to restore the'circuit-closer to its normally inactive position when released from the influence of the lever or key, combined witlfa hell-actuatinglever adapted to be connected with the bell, a polepiece suspended from the bell-actuating lever, an electromagnet arranged adjacent to said pole-piece, and electric conductors wired with" the electrocannon magnet, the circuit-closer being arranged unu o-peratcd to make and break the circuit be tween the said conductors, substantially as described. I

2. A bell-chiming apparatus, comprising an actuating-lever adapted tobe connected with the bell to be rung, a pole-piece suspended from the bell-actuating lever. an electromagnet arrangedadjacentto said pole-piece, electric conductors wired with the electromagnet, a tilting circuit-closer arranged to complete the circuit b tween the aforesaid conductors and normally out of contact therewith, and a key anrangcd outside of the electric circuit and adapted to operate the circuit-closento complete the circuit, the circuit-closer being operated and the circuit broken automatic all y upon the release of the key, substantially i as described.

3. A bell-chiming apparatus, comprisinga, bell, an actuating-lever and suitable connections between the two, a pole-piecesuspended from the hell-actuating lever, an electromagnet arranged adjacent to said pole-piece, electric nnductors wired with the electromagnet, a tilting circuit-closer arranged to complete the circuit between the aforesaid conductors and normally out of contact therewith, and a key by means of which the circuitcloser may be operated to complete the circuit, substantially as and for the purpose described. r v

In testimony whereofl have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of November, A. D. 1896.

NEAL MCMENAMIN.

Witnesses:

WM. H. "FINCKEL, E. A. FINCKEL. 

